BILL NUMBER: ACR 51	CHAPTERED  09/14/99

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER   109
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 14, 1999
	ADOPTED IN SENATE   SEPTEMBER 7, 1999
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 31, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Wayne

                        APRIL 26, 1999

   Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 51--Relative to breast cancer.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 51, Wayne.  Breast cancer.
   This measure would designate the month of October as Breast Cancer
Awareness Month and would designate October 15, 1999, as Breast Exam
and Mammography Awareness Day.




   WHEREAS, Breast cancer is an epidemic that will strike one out of
eight American women and one out of 10 California women in their
lifetime; and
   WHEREAS, Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among
women and is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of
cancer deaths among women, both nationally, and in California; and
   WHEREAS, In the United States, approximately 43,000 women will die
of breast cancer and some 181,000 new cases will be diagnosed in
1999; and
   WHEREAS, In the State of California, approximately 5,000 women
will die of breast cancer and nearly 20,000 new cases will be
diagnosed in 1999; and
   WHEREAS, In California, the highest incidence of breast cancer is
found in Anglo women, the highest mortality rate occurs among
African-American women, and the greatest percentage of late-stage
diagnosis occurs among Latino and African-American women; and
   WHEREAS, Breast cancer is increasingly being diagnosed among women
in their 30's and 40's; and
   WHEREAS, More than 70 percent of women with breast cancer exhibit
none of the known risk factors; and
   WHEREAS, Although evidence is emerging about a link between
environmental factors and breast cancer, not enough research is being
funded to pursue this link; and
   WHEREAS, Despite over 25 years of the "war on cancer," there is
still no known cause, cure, or method of preventing breast cancer;
and
   WHEREAS, While mammography remains an important method for breast
cancer detection, it often fails to identify the disease effectively,
particularly among women in their 20's, 30's, and 40's; and
   WHEREAS, In addition to the incalculable emotional costs to women
and their families, the direct and indirect economic costs of breast
cancer are estimated at $8 billion a year nationally in additional
health care services and lost productivity; and
   WHEREAS, Historically, breast cancer research has been grossly
underfunded at the federal level, topping a decade of erosion in
federal appropriations in the 1980's for all cancer research; and
   WHEREAS, According to the National Cancer Institute, the incidence
of breast cancer in the United States increased 32 percent between
1982 and 1989; and
   WHEREAS, The United States government during the same period of
time reportedly spent only $77 million annually researching the
prevention of breast cancer, while it spent $648 million annually to
prevent heart disease.  Breast cancer accounts for 15 percent of all
cancers in this country; and
   WHEREAS, By the following decade, the 105th Congress appropriated
almost $530 million for federal breast cancer research.  However,
much more is needed to fund research directed at finding a cure and
means of preventing breast cancer adequately; and
   WHEREAS, Californians now have a unique opportunity to support
breast cancer research in this state through the California Breast
Cancer Research Fund Act, which allows individuals to make a
voluntary contribution to support research when filing state income
tax returns; and
   WHEREAS, Heightened public awareness and education about breast
cancer are crucial to the national effort to eradicate this epidemic;
and
   WHEREAS, Prominent organizations like the National Breast Cancer
Coalition focus on three important goals to achieve such a worthy
purpose; (1) increasing appropriations for high quality,
peer-reviewed research, and working within the scientific community
to focus research on prevention and finding a cure, (2) increasing
access for all women to high quality treatment and care and to breast
cancer clinical trials, and (3) increasing the influence of women
living with breast cancer and other breast cancer activists in the
decisionmaking that impacts all issues surrounding breast cancer; and

   WHEREAS, Such national organizations have precipitated the
development of a National Action Plan on breast cancer that will be a
collaboration of government, science, private industry, and
consumers; and
   WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of all women, men, and
families to join together to promote greater awareness about a
disease that affects all Californians, the need for true early
detection and adequate treatment options, and the urgency of finding
a cure; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California,
in order to heighten public awareness about breast cancer, including
the need to redouble efforts to prevent and cure this disease,
declares the month of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month; and
be it further
   Resolved, The Legislature of the State of California, in order to
recognize that, to date, breast exam and mammography are still the
primary methods of breast cancer detection available to women, and
that, therefore, all women should perform monthly breast self-exams,
women over 50 years of age should have regularly scheduled mammograms
every year, and women 40 to 49 years of age, inclusive, should
consult about mammograms with their health care provider, declares
October 15, 1999, as Breast Exam and Mammography Awareness Day; and
be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California
emphasizes that the public education efforts conducted during the
month of October should be part of an ongoing, year-round effort to
raise public awareness across the state, and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California
recognizes that while early detection through routine mammograms,
clinical exams, and breast self-exams are important, the only
effective means of protecting women against breast cancer is to make
breast cancer research a priority and fund critically needed research
into the cause, cure, and prevention of breast cancer; and be it
further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit a suitably
prepared copy of this resolution to the author for appropriate
distribution.
